1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the fields of molecular immunology and the generation of non-human chimeric animals. More specifically, the present invention relates to the functional reconstitution of severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice with bovine fetal hematopoietic tissues (scid-bo).
2. Description of the Related Art
High maintenance costs, long gestation periods, uncertain health status, and variable genetic backgrounds limit the utilization of cattle in immunological and infectious disease research. Severe combined immunodeficient (SCID, C.B-17 scid/scid, FOX SCID) mice successfully engrafted with bovine fetal tissues or peripheral blood lymphocytes obviate many of these limitations and provide a smalll animal model for the study of different elements of the bovine immune system.
SCID mice are ideal recipients for tissue xenografts as they lack functional T and B lymphocytes. A variety of species tissues have been used as tissue donors for the development of immunologically chimeric SCID mice including the bovine, equine, feline, porcine, and human tissues. The SCID-human (SCID-hu) chimeric mouse model has greatly facilitated studies of human hematopoiesis, lymphomagenesis, and the immune response to HIV infection.
The prior art is deficient in the lack of effective means of generating functional reconstitution of scid-bo mice with bovine fetal hematopoietic tissues. The present invention fulfills this longstanding need and desire in the art.